Several Chicago Public Schools students were among those detained after a clash between protesters and immigration agents in Little Village Thursday.
Those students were released, according to activists and the principal of a Chicago school, but the incident sparked intense reaction as federal agents continue to ramp up their activities in the Chicago area.
For the second day in a row, clashes between agents and community members unfolded in the streets of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, with the most noteworthy incident occurring near the Discount Mall. Federal agents were met with rapid response team members from the community, who blocked unidentified and masked agents from entering the mall without warrants, according to protest organizers and Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez.
Tensions rose quickly at the scene, with Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino filmed in social media posts standing with his hands on the pin of a tear gas canister behind a wall of armed and masked agents, with helicopters hovering over the crowds.
At least two teargas cannisters were deployed around the mall, sending protesters running.
“As he held the teargas in his hand, he did not dare to deploy another one,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “He knows what he is doing, and we must hold him accountable.”
According to a letter from the school’s principal, a teen student from Benito Juarez Community Academy was among arrested and briefly held by federal immigration authorities. Organizers of protests said three other students were briefly detained as well, but were not arrested.
“I know this situation has created many fears and concerns in our community, and I want to emphasize that we are taking this situation extremely seriously,” Principal Juan Carlos Ocon said.
Sigcho Lopez, parents and Chicago Public Schools teachers spoke out at the school after the incident unfolded.
The Chicago alderman said that the incident was sparked because a security guard, who questioned whether agents had a judicial warrant, was detained, with protests quickly following. The students were among those at the scene at the time, he said.
“These students were detained. One was beat up and released, and another just released because they were protesting their first amendment rights,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
Liz Winfield, a teacher at Benito Juarez and a member of the Chicago Teachers Union, said she marked a student absent, and it was because they were detained during the protest.
“This morning at 7:45 in homeroom I marked a junior student absent, not because that student was sick or his bus was late. It was because ICE snatched him up on way to school. This student is an active member of the school community,” she said.
ICE has not yet responded to a request for comment on the incident.
Bovino, who is leading immigration operations in Chicago, spoke with Telemundo in an exclusive interview.
“I definitely take my orders from the executive branch, whether that is President Trump or Secretary Noem,” he said.
Chicago Public Schools, in previous press releases, has said they will not coordinate with federal immigration agents, and agents are not allowed on school grounds unless they produce a criminal judicial warrant signed by a judge.
CPS offers additional resources to students and parents via its website.
